End-gate fastener.



T. D. HARVEY.

END GATE FASTENER- APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 2, 1913.

Patented Feb. 16, 1915.

WITNESSES Ill/VE/VTOR ATTORNEYS THE NORRIS PETERS (30., PHOTO-LITHQ,WASHING I'ON. D, t

trim THOMAS DAVID HARVEY, 0F NEWARK, TEXAS.

ZEND-GATE FASTENER.

Application filed September 2, 1913.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that T, THOMAS D. HARVEY, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of Newark, in the county of Wise and State of Texas, haveinvented a new and useful Improvement in End-Grate Fasteners, of whichthe following is a specification.

My invention is an improvement in end gate fasteners for wagons and likevehicles, and has for its object to provide a fastener of the characterspecified, simple in construction and operation, but permitting a firmlock when locked, and which may be readily and quickly disengaged whendesired, and wherein the fastener consists of two sections, mounted forsliding movement longitudinally of each other, and having means forengagement to hold them in clamped position.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a rear end view of a wagon body providedwith the improved fastener, Fig. 2 is a front view of the sections ofthe fastener detached, Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail of the meeting endsof the sections of the fastener, with parts in section, and Fig. 1 is asection on the line 4--4 of Fig. 3.

The present embodiment of the invention is shown in connection with thebody or bed of a wagon, the said body or bed consisting of the bottom 1,sides 2 and 3, and the end gate 4 is arranged on the bottom between thesides. Each of the sides of the body is provided with a transverseopening on the outer side of the end gate, and slightly below the upperedge of the said side, and eye bolts 5 and 6 are connected with theopenings of the respective sides 2 and 3. The eye bolts are passed fromthe inner sides of the said sides 2 and 3 of the body, and outside ofeach of the sides 2 and 3 each eye bolt is engaged by a nut 7 a washer 8being preferably arranged between each nut and the adjacent face of theadjacent side of the wagon. The fastener proper is sectional eachsection consisting of a rod, 9 and 10 respectively. The rod 9 isprovided at its outer end with an eye 11, and the said eye engages theeye bolt 6. The inner end of the rod or section 9 is also provided withan eye 12, and the respective ends of the rod 9 are offset laterallyfrom each other as shown to form a stop or shoulder 13 intermediate theends of the said rod. The plane of the eye 12 is at approximately aSpecification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 16, 1915.

Serial No. 787,635.

right angle with respect to the rod, and the shoulder 13 is also atapproximately a right angle to the rod. The offset portion 14 of the rod9, that is that portion of the said rod between the shoulder 13 and theeye 12, is offset from the body of the rod, a distance correspondingapproximately to the diameter of the rod, and the rod 10 is passedthrough the eye 12, and is provided with an eye 15 at its inner endwhich engages the offset portion 14: of the rod 9. The section or rod 10is also provided with a hook 16 at its outer end, the said hook beingadapted to engage the eye bolt 6.

It will be noted that the plane of the eye 15 is not at right angles tothe rod 10, but is inclined at an obtuse angle with respect to the saidrod. The stop or shoulder 13 is adapted to be engaged by the eye 15 ofthe rod 10, to prevent movement of the rods or sections of the fasteneraway from each other. The engagement of the eyes 12 and 15 with eachother would prevent disengagement of the sections from each other.

In operation, the sections of the fastener are arranged as shown in Fig.1, the rod 9 being permanently connected to the eye bolt 5, while therod 10 is detachably connected with the eye bolt 6. With the parts inthe position of Fig. 1, when it is desired to remove the end gate 4, theeye 15 is disengaged from the stop 13, by pushing the said eye upwardly.As soon as the disengagement occurs, the sides 2 and 3 will move outwardslightly away from each other, thus releasing the end gate. If it isdesired to load or unload the body through the end gate the hook 16 maybe disengaged from the eye bolt 6 when the fastener may be swung to oneside out of the way of the loading or un-- loading. After the end gatehas been replaced, the hook 16 is engaged with the eye bolt 6, and thesides 2 and 3 are pressed together. The eyes 12 and 15 will slide on therods 10 and 9 respectively until the rod 15 engages a stop 13, and thesections of the fastener will be locked from outward movement away fromeach other.

The improved fastener is cheaply constructed, may be applied to existingwagons without material change, and when once attached the fastener isalways connected with the wagon, and cannot become lost or mislaid."While simple in construction and operation, the fastener is efficient,holding tightly the end gate in place, and the sections cannot easilybecome accidentally released. The curve on the bill of the hook 16 wouldprevent release of the hook unless the ring 15 Were disengaged from theshoulder 13. To release the ring from the shoulder, it is necessary todraWthe sections together, that is, to move them longitudinally topermit the ring to disengage the shoulder. Since all of the stress tendsto move the sections away from each other, accidental release isprevented. There are no complicated parts to get out of order, and thedevice as a Whole may be constructed at a very loW cost.

I claim A fastener for the end gates of Wagons, consisting of asectional rod, each section having an eye at one end through which theother section passes, one of the sections having an eye at its outer endand the other Copies of this patent'may be obtained for five cents each,by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C.

